


He wrote the book in months

by PinkPunk010



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Emotional Conversation, F/M, Leta and Tina talk, Miscommunication, what love triangle?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-23 00:45:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15594489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkPunk010/pseuds/PinkPunk010
Summary: Surprisingly, it's Leta who helps Tina along the most





	He wrote the book in months

**Author's Note:**

> a random bit of shameless speculation about how I'd love for them to pitch Tina and Leta and the erumpet in the room

There was no two ways about it. They were going to have to split up.

"It's the only way," Tina insisted with a little more bravado than she truly felt, forcing herself to maintain eye contact and distance from Newt. "You and Theseus need to go, now, direct action. Keep em distracted. Leta and I will go round the back."

Newt shook his head, eyes focused on the floor even as he stepped towards her. She could feel her heart betraying her, wanting for them to stay together, for Theseus and Leta to look after themselves. But Newt and Theseus were more suited to the particular task facing them in the graveyard. Tina and Leta would be able to find Queenie while Grindlewald's minions focuses on the war heroes. 

Then, suddenly, Newt was looking into her eyes like he had before he'd boarded the boat - eyes that looked a little startled to see her there before him. She's found them hopeful before, now it kinda hurt a little. She smiled a little sadly at him. 

"Time to go," she said firmly, "I would say don't do something stupid but..."

"But you know me," Newt chuckled awkwardly, hands fiddling with the pocket of his coat. "Tina-"

"I'll keep Leta safe," she cut him off, promising even as she stepped back and away, to where the other woman was stepping away from her own Scamander brother. "We'll see you on the other side. Ready Miss Lestrange?"

Leta nodded, casting a firm look at the brothers before they appeared away. In reality, their portion of finding Queenie required a bit of waiting first. They'd quickly agreed on a plan, and Tina had been a little surprised at how quickly Leta had stopped her feeling awkward. Then, just as suddenly, it was awkward again. 

"I do hope they stay safe," Leta had voiced Tina's thoughts. "I know you must rather dislike me Miss Goldstein, but I truly want then both back safe, not just my fiance."

"Why would I hate you?" Tina scoffed, glancing back out of the small room they'd hidden in. "I barely know you."

Leta had smiled sadly, a politely sad smile with real pain behind it. "We, that is Theseus and I, we weren't entirely sure if you could really exist, you know. We knew you did of course, but ... you seemed so ... far ... from what we ever knew of Newt and his creatures."

Tina turned from her post, genuinely confused by the turn of the conversation. Leta must have read the confusion on her face because she kicked the bench opposite to her. Tina eyedit suspiciously but made no move towards it. 

"Newt," Leta paused, thinking each word through. "Well, you know Newt, he has always struggled with people. He annoys them, because he is nothing like them. He's just..."

"Newt?" Tina finished for her wryly, crossing her arms and leaning back against the wood.

"Exactly," Leta half smiled, before continuing. "Theseus and I are awfully protective of him. I don't think he sees it as protection, he sees it as meddling."

"Maybe you should let him live his own life," Tina pointed out cooly. 

"Miss Golstein, this is a delicate conversation and I would prefer it if you werent quite so antagonistic," Leta huffed, or as much as a well need British witch could huff. 

"Prefer all you like," Tina replied hotly, "you ain't said anything particularly delicate yet."

Tina wasn't sure what was going on, was Leta trying to gauge her feelings for Newt, to ward her off? But she was engaged to Theseus - was that a power move? 

"Fine, what are your intentions regarding my brother-in-law?" Leta said sharply, levelling Tina with a look. Time's mouth gaped open. 

'What?" She asked hesitantly, not sure if she had heard correctly. 

"I'm going to put a scenario to you, Miss Goldstein, and I want you to listen," Leta's hands folded gently into her lap, her back straight and regal looking despite the distress her robes had taken. "Imagine your very best friend was threatened, and to save him you had to break his heart. And then you found your purpose with his older brother, years after you had all been separated. Now, imagine a terribly shy young boy with a case full of creatures travelling the world for ten years, always more to learn, his book always never quite right."

She looked sharply at Tina. 

"I get it, imagine Newt," Tina said bluntly, "What's this got to do with me?"

"Imagine he goes to New York, he gets arrested, he has an experience that is quite frankly terrifying for his family to hear about. We expect him to go off again, somewhere else, somewhere new. Instead, he turns up on his brothers doorstep to avail himself of the room always made up for him. Ten years he has been researching his book. He writes it in five months."

Tina frowned, "He was writing it in New York, he said he was nearly done." She pointed out. 

"Newt has been 'nearly done' for years now," Leta rolled her eyes. "He finishes the book and submits the manuscript, no more research to be had. He only asks that he be given the first copy. And while he is writing, and waiting, he is corresponding with someone who makes him look forward to the post owl. A group of people, in fact, who he wishes to return to. Perhaps a particular one of the group."

Tina had been growing uncomfortable under Leta's sharp dark eyes, her own eyes dropping to her wand, twisting it between her fingers as she realised what Leta had been asking all along. 

"He's not interested in me," she said, quietly and sadly confident in this. "He wasn't coming back, not for me at least. He might have come back for all of us but.. not just for me Miss Lestrange." 

Leta surveyed Tina with shrewd eyes, making her squirm a little uncomfortably. It was almost like she didn't realise that Tina didnt need an audience for her pain. 

"You truly believe that," Leta said finally, surprise lacing her voice. " Miss Goldstein, Theseus and I have been trying to recruit Newt on behalf of Dumbledore for almost a year now, since we realised he was committing to life in England. But he kept refusing to get involved because he had somewhere else he needed to be. And then we noticed that letters arrived every Wednesday, and if they were late he worried, when they arrived he was happy. And he wrote his book in five months."

"Could mean anything," Tina insisted desperately. Leta didn't understand she needed to convince herself of this. "I know Newt, maybe not as well as you but I know him, and I think he would have bought me a copy, like he promised, but you're making it sound like more for him than it is. And I'm ok with that." 

"Merlin's beard," Leta moved off the bench to kneel before Tina, gripping her hand and her shoulder. "Newt has your picture in his personal case, Tina. He has been using every contact he could to get to New York again. He asked Theseus to talk to the Minister if that's what it took. Newt is reckless when it comes to his creatures, but not anything else. When Dumbledore asked him to come to Paris with Theseus and I, he said no. Initially he said no, because he had to go to New York, to see his friends. He loves Queenie and Jacob, yes. But you." 

Leta shook her head in amazement before continuing. 

"We know you favour peach tea at home and a dark roast coffee when outside. We know that his awful muffler adores you. We knew that you had curly brown hair and liked trouser suits before we saw your photograph in the newspaper he had delivered to the house. He told us that you were kind and you were foolishly brave, and that you put yourself on the line again and again to save a young boy from being abused. Then he came back TO England and stayed here for months without a destination beyond returning to where he had come from." 

"Please don't get my hope up, Miss Lestrange," Tina ordered through damp eyes and a tight chest, "I'm being practical. Newt can't like me." 

"No, but I daresay if you have him the chance, he'd say he loved you." 

Tina threw her head back and took in a deep, steadying breath, trying not to feel like she was full of hot emotions that would make her a danger to her mission. 

"Newt is still in love with you," Tina said finally, not looking at the woman she hadn't been able to fully like. Leta seemed surprised, like the thought had never even crossed her mind. Then her features softened, and she squeezed Tina's hand before standing up. 

"I think you should talk to him, when this is over. There is a war on Miss Goldstein, and our time may be short. Now, I believe I already have my answer." 

"Answer to what?" Tina asked - she had been following fine up till then. 

"What are your intentions towards my brother, Miss Goldstein?" Leta smiled enigmatically. 

Tina had barely composed a suitable reply before a thunderclap wrenched through the sky. Suddenly she was all business, ready for action

"That's our cue," she told Leta, leaping up. "You ready Miss Lestrange?" 

"Of course Miss Goldstein."


End file.
